Jay Leno uses 3D scanner and 3D Printer to replace old car parts

Jay Leno's biggest hobby is car collection, he has a lot of old cars, the only problem is he can nowhere find a spare replacement part. But Jay and all the guys at Jay's Big Dog Garage have their solution: they have a NextEngine 3D scanner and Dimension 3D printer - so he simply goes scan the original, or design on the computer, and then print and replace those obsolete parts.

The NextEngine 3D scanner creates a digital model of almost any parts, and the 3D printer can print the copy out. The size of the object determines the length of the process, for example it takes 20 minutes to scan a flanged nut from Jay's EcoJet supercar and then 3 hours to print in plastic. And a White's feedwater heater takes 33 hours.

Jay said, the scanner can measure about 50,000 points per second at a density of 160,000 dots per inch (dpi) to create a highly detailed digital model. It costs $2995 but well worth it. Their $30,000 Dimension 3D printer have created replacement parts completely from scratch and in house.

If you had a one-off Ferrari engine, you could scan each part and then re-create the entire motor. Right now, we're scanning a Duesenberg body. It's a classic example of high tech melding with old tech. There are cars sitting in garages around the country, and they haven't moved in years for lack of some unobtainable part. Now they can hit the road once more, thanks to this technology.

My EcoJet supercar needed air-conditioning ducts. We used plastic parts we designed, right out of the 3D copier. We didn't have to make these scoops out of aluminum—plastic is what they use in a real car. And the finished ones look like factory production pieces.